Trolley-wheel.



No. 805,572. 7 PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905. A. H. MATHESIUS.

TROLLEY WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, 1900.

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ALEXANDER H. MATHESIUS PATENT OFFICE.

, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

, TROiLLEY-WHEEL.

No. 805,572. Specification of Application filed May 24,

Letters Patent.

1900. Serial No. 17,883.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, ALEXANDER H. MATHE- sIUs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, county ofKings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Trolley-Wheels, which improvements are fully set forthin the following specification. and accompanying drawings. I

My invention has relation to means for conveying power from electricalconductors and also relates to certain details and apparatus to be usedin connection therewith.

This application relates to improvements in trolley-wheels, andcomprehends certain modifications of improvements upon the generalconstruction set out in Letters Patent No. 432,757, granted to me July22, 1890.

In my Letters Patent above referred to I have disclosed an original typeof uidewheel having for its special novelty t 1e divided centralbearing, which. is made of a number of separate sections in a mannerthat each section 1s free to revolve with a velocity in correspondenceto the length of its radius,

thereby reducing the slipping and abrasion of the contact-lines of theguide, rope, or the like with which it may revolve incontact and of thecentral bearing of the guide-wheel. My present invention has for itsobject a further development of the same general featuresnamely,-reducin to a minimum the slipping and abrasion o? the contact-lines ofthe gpide, rope, or the like and of the trolleye r I who. y Incarryingout my invention I provide the central bearlng of thetrolley-wheelfwith straight -or a proximately straight {trans versecontacti'nes' which are generated with radii of equal len'gt order to,form the cir cumfer'ence' of a cylinder. Thereby *I prevent sliding a'ndabrasions ofthe transversev contact-lines of the central bearinggofthetrolleywvheelj and of the trolley' wireL. Inorder to retain thecylindrical former the cen- -i ral bearing oftlie trolley-wheel, Iprovide the" trolleywireiwith which my trolleytrolley-wh 'iwheels-'are;to-run in contact with straight transverse contact-lines andadjust "all the transverse contact-lines of the-trolley-wirej eels whichareemployed in a given 1 circuit in a mannerthat all the straighttransverse contact-lines of their centralbear ings-rare-parallel toeachother-and to the Where the trolley-wires are already installed in asystem of trolley-railroads and their transverse contact-lines arecurvilinear, I make the straight transverse contact-lines of the centralbearings of my trolley-wheels of harder material than the material ofwhich the trolley-wire is made with which it may revolve in contact forthe purpose of crushing the curved transverse contaot-lines of the1trolley-Wire into straight transverse contactmes.

It should be understood that central bearings of trolley-wheels, whichare necessarily of small diameter, when provided with straighttransverse contact-lines and forced in contact with the usual pressureof about fifteen pounds against the curved transverse contact-lines of asmall circular trolley-wire, the contact may not be more than onehundredth part of one square inch. Consequently the pressure of fifteenpounds with which the trolley-wheel is forced against the trolleywire isequal to one hundred and fifty thousand pounds per square inch. Thetrolleywires as generally used at present are made of difierentcompositions of metal, with a view of hardening it as much as possiblewithout losing too much of its conductivity. The hardest of thesetrolley-wires will bear a compressive strain of about twenty thousanpounds per square inch within the llmit of elasticity. Therefore theharder transverse contact-lines of the central bearing of mytrolley-wheel will crush the curved transverse contact-lines of thetrolley-wire into straight transverse contact-lines until the area ofcontact is (proportion to the applied pressure. If un or theseconditions 0 trolley wire the transverse contact lines of thetrolley-wheel are made of softer material than the material of which thetrolley-Wire is made, the curved transverse contact-lines of f thetrolley wire will crush the transverse contact-lines of the centralbearing of the trolley- :wheel as soon as the contact is established.Under these conditions a slight groove will be crushed into thecircumference of the central bearing as soon as the trolley-wheelcommencesto revolve. This oove is composed ;of"di fierent lengths ofradii, measured from the aiis of the central bearing, which causes aslidin 'andabrasion of the central bearin and'a so of the trolley-wire.The sliding an abrasions of the metals in; contact are very l smallatlfirst, but increase very rapidly in pro- 1 1o portion to the depth ofthe cove, and if many trolley-wheels are allowe to run in such a statein a circuit. the grooves destroy the trolley-wheels and thetrolley-wirein a short ime.

In one form of my invention of the trolleywheel I employ anindependentlyqevolving cylindrical ora proximatelycylindrical centralbearing, w 'ch has for its object to reduce the slipping and abrasion ofthe metals of the contact-lines of the flanges of the trolley-wheel andof the sides of the trolley-wire. The independently-revolving .centralbearing of the trolley-wheel has also for its object to reduce theinertia which prevents producing flat faces on its circumference. Forthis reason a trolley-wheel fitted with the independently-revolvingcentral bearing will also revolve in contact with a trolley-wire underconsiderably less pressure and with less abrasion of metal than anordinary solid trolleywheel.

My improvement will be better understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which-- v Figure 1 is a side View of atrolley-wheel fitted with an independently-revolving cylindrical centralbearing. Fig. 2 is a vertical section a a of the side view shown in Fig.1 and an end view of a trolley-wire of circular cross-section,exceptstraight transverse contact-lines. Fi 3 IS a side view of amodified trolley-wheel fl tted with a removable cylindrical centralbearing. Fig. 4 is a vertical section b .b of the side view shown .inFig. 3 and an end view of a trolley-wire ofangular cross-section. Fi 5is a cross-section of an other modified trolley-wheel fitted with a cy-I the central bearing.

lindrical central bearing made of the integral part of the rest of the?wheel and with shoulders adjoining the transverse contact-lines ofSimilar figures denote like parts throughout the various views ofthedrawings.

The trolley-wheelshown in Figs. 1 and 2 is made of suitable material andfitted with an inde endently-revOlving central bearing 1, \vhic 1 issuitably fitted to revolve upon the separatingring 2 and independentlyof the flanges 3 3, whereby slipping and abrasion of the metals incontact of the flanges, the central bearing, and also of thetrolley-wire 10, may be reduced by enabling the centralbearing and theflanges to revolve independently with a velocity in proportion to thelength of the radii of their contact with the contact of thetrolley-wire. The central bearing is made of a cylindrical form, whichpresents straight transverse contact-lines parallel to the straighttransverse contact-lines of the' trolley-wire. I thereby reducethe'slipping between the trolley-wire and the central bearing of theguide-wheel and the abrasion of the metals in contact. The cylindricalform is best adapted for the central bearing of a guidewheel which is torevolve in contact with a flat contact-surface of a trolley-wire onaccount of its transverse contact-lines being formed by radii of e uallength. Consequently every point in t e line of contact revolves with anequal velocity of all the other points of that line, and no slip ingbetween 'the contact-surfaces can ensue t ereby. The central bearing maybe made of any suitable material; but I prefer to make it of hardermaterial than the material of which the trolley-wir'e is made. Therebythe contact-lines are retained nearer to that of its cylindrical formand will correct any'unevenness of the contact-faces of thetrolley-wire. In the drawings I have shown straight transversecontact-lines of the central bearing of the guide-wheel; but it isevident that here, as well as with the trolley-wire, the transversecontact-lines of the central hearing when approximately straight arealso embraced in my invention.

The flan es 3 3 (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) to guide the trolley-wire tothe central beargles with the center line of the guide-wheel, which arerequired to go around curves. The flanges are provided with small convexcurves 4 4, which project a little above the contactlines of'the centralbearing and adjoin thereto. These guide t e guide-wheel central y uponthe central bearing in contact with the trolleywire and also serve toreduce the slipping between the sides of the'trolley-wire and theflanges. The curved cavity 5 5 of the flanges next to the convex curveserves to allow the guide-wheel to assume the different a les with thetrolley-wire which are require to go around curves. serve to prevent theguide-wheel from leaving or jumping the trolley-wire when theguide-wheel is orced sidewise by joltlng or ot erwise. The/flanges areprovidedwith central holes for mounting upon the hub 7 between theseparating-ring 2 and the clamping-rings 8 8, where they are clamped torevolve in unison with the hub.

The separatingring 2 (shown in Fig. 2) is made of suitable material andprovided with a central longitudinal holeinto which the hub is received.The circumference is suitably finished as a journal for the centralbearing. It is made wide enough to separate the flanges sufliciently toallow the central bearing to revolve freely.

' lhe clamping-rings 8 8 and 2) are made of suitable material andprovided with. central longitudinal holes into -which the hub ispressed. The clampingrings are pressed upon the hub and against theflanges with'sul'licient force to prevent them from turning; In additionto the friction of the pressure with which they are are made 0 suitablematerial and ofa shape ing and allow it to assume the diflerent an-.

rojections of the flan es serve to (shown in Figs. 1'

The vertical' lines 6 6 holes of the t e centralbearing is rating ringheads are is fitted to receive projections 5 5 of forced upon the hubthey are prevented from pigving endwise by riveting the ends of the no.I

The hub 7 (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) is made of s uitablelmaterial andprovided with a central hole to retain the bushing 9. The circumferenceis suitably finished for pressin it into the se aratingnng, into thecentrril ang es, and into the clam ingrings. After the different detailsare p aced u on the hub in their placed upon the sepathen formed at bothends of the integral. part of the hub, which serve to hold-the detailsof the guide -wheel in their proper places. v

The bushing 9 (shown in Figs. 1' and 2) is made of suitable material.its circumference is made of a size and the huh, where it is held inplace b friction. it is provided "with a central longitudi a shaft.

Figs. 3, t, and 5 show modifications of the.

construction of the guide-wheel shown in Figs. 1 and'2. Tl.'1611 design1s governed by the general principleswhicn areemployed in Conseof theone shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in that it is not iitted to. revolveindependently ofthe flanges. It is of a cylindrical form and rovidedwith a central longitudinal hole which the flanges, which guide itcentrally with the rest of the guide-wheel. The flanges 3 3 {shown inFigs. 3 and 4) are provided with a cavity composed of similar curves andvertical lines he flanges shown in Figs. 1 and 2; but .e flanges areprovided with projections i, which are fitted into the centralhole ofcentral bearing, and with projections 5, which serve as a bushing 9. Thecentral hearing is clam ed e31 the flanges, which are held toget er its4..

. 5 is a vertical cross-se tion of modifie-cl solid trolley-wheel madeof suitable material, of which its members are-circular. The centralbearin 1 is made of the integral part or" the rest of t is wheel. It isalso made of a cylindrical form. Its straight transverse contact-linesare joined by small convex curvesdt 4 which are onied by concave properpositions and which it may shape to be pressed into nal hole, winch isfitted as a ournal to revolve around I will restrict myself to thedescrip-- the details which differ from those :flanges which are hub forreceiving the which are joined by straight of the flanges td perform thesame curves 5 5, llnes 6. 6

function as the similar ones explained of Figs.

1 and 2.

What I claim as my invention is-.

' 1. Atrolley-wheel for use with an elec- I trical conductor, having acentral hearing fitted with straight transverse contact-lines s and madeof hardermaterial than the material of which the'electrical conductorwith revolve in contact is mad, shoulders which adjoin and projecteyond' the central bearing, but WlllCll are ntallerthan the largestdiameter of the circular flanges of the trolley-wheel, for the purposespecified. i 2. A trolley-wheel for use with an electrical con'dfihtor,having a central bearing fitted with straight transverse contact-linesand made of harder'materialthan the materialo'i which the electricalconductor. with which it may revolve in contact is made, convex curveswhich adjoin and project beyond the central hearin but WlllOh aresmaller than the largest diameter. of the circular flanges, for thepurpose specified.

3. A trolley-wheel for use with an elec'-. trical conductor, having acentral bearing fitted with straight transverse contact-lines and madeof harder material than the material of which the electrical conductorwith which it may revolve in contact is made,

' rovided with a cavity which is com osed of straight lines near theirlargest. 'iameter, and concave curves joined thereto nearthe'centralhearing, for

the purpose specified.

4. A trolley-wheel foru'sewith an eleca" trical conductor, having acentral hearing" 'fitted with straight transverse contact-lines,

flanges which are fitted with convert curves near the central'bearing,and concave curves joined thereto, for the purpose s ecified.

5'. A trolley-wheel for use wit an elec- -trical conductorhavihg' acentral; bearing fitted with straight transverse contact-lines flangeswhich are fitted with convex curves near the central hearing, concavecurves joined thereto, and straight lines near their argest diameter,for the purpose specified.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALEXANDER n. MAIHESIUS.

. Witnesses: I

GEORGE A. MATHEsIUs,

FRANoIs PRUD.

